Tears of a Dying Millennium
by Deirdre Blair
Summary: There's no such thing as total peace, just the absence of war. And there's no better way to face this than to be prepared for it. But when the vital preparations go wrong, all hell breaks lose. HotaruHeero [Updated 11.08]
1. Absence of War

**Tears of a Dying Millennium  
by Deirdre Blair**

Disclaimer: I claim absolutely no rights to Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, or any of their respective likenesses and characters. This fanfic was written and published for entertainment purposes only, and the authoress does not intend to make money off of it. Any copyright or trademark infringement is unintended. Any similarities between any persons, dead or alive, is purely coincidental. No animals or persons were harmed during the making of this fic. (Duo: -glares- Liar. -limps away while nursing a broken arm, bloody nose and lip, and a dislocated shoulder-) _Hamlet_ belongs to William Shakespeare. 

Oh! However, I do own Eagle and Ghost. So...don't take them, all right? They are characters made up by me for the purpose of this fic. That's it. Okay? 

Summary: It's AC 200, three years after the last light of war. Earth and the five colonies are at peace, and mobile suits have all but disappeared. However, when a power-hungry and war-loving ruler decides to end all peace and take over all five colonies and Earth, the ex-Gundam pilots are forced out of retirement and into the strangest war mankind has ever witnessed. 

Author's Note: Okay, I realise that I'm quite busy with two other fics at the moment and that my last Gundam Wing/Sailor Moon fic went _nowhere_. However, I am hoping this new GW/SM fic will be the one that inspires me the most, the one that won't let me quit. And I'm also hoping you will love it...or even like it. Enjoy! 

And I'm sorry to inform that there will be no Relena-bashing in this fic. While I'm not a big fan, this is too serious a situation to have a ditzy Vice Foreign Minister. 

Rating: PG-13 

Genre: Angst/Drama 

Pairings: Hotaru/Heero  
Implied Pairings: Eagle/Ghost 

**Chapter One  
Absence of War**

_Peace is not the absence of war; it is a virtue; a state of mind; a disposition for benevolence; confidence; and justice. -- Spinoza_

For three years, the entire world had been at peace. It was a quiet peacefulness that exuded much happiness and contentment with the people of Earth and the colonies. Things were finally settled down and they could go about living their lives normally--without the fear of roaring gunfire and oddly beautiful explosions in the sky above. People were smiling again, and not with hope or resignation, but with relief and ease. Everyone was finally beginning to believe that there was such a thing as total peace, and to have achieved something as extraordinary as that, well, they now had a sense of new-found pride and faith in both themselves and a Higher Power. 

But to Heero Yuy, the quiet peace was something to be suspicious of. It was an unnerving silence, one that held the faint but indistinct promise that something sinister lurked in it's shadows. 

His paranoia could've been due to the fact that he had never lived in peaceful times and had been raised to believe that such a thing was never achievable. After all, not a single threat of death had been made in over two and a half years, and the crime rate on all five colonies and Earth was at an all-time low. So, perhaps he was just being paranoid. Times when thoughts like that would cross his mind, he would tell himself that perhaps peace was achievable and that maybe he should just bask in the careless comfort in knowing that he wasn't needed for war. 

However, a shiver would always travel down his spine after thoughts like those. He knew through instinct, intuition, and experience that such a thing was unable to be accomplished. Something sinister _always_ lurked in the shadow of Peace. 

And so, he would watch. And he would wait. Until he proved to the world that peace was just a fantasy, when human nature would finally kick in. 

When he would finally be useful once again. 

- 

One year and seven months ago, the World Unified Nation had secretly funded a newly-formed branch in it's black-ops. A select group of "special" people would undergo rigourous and merciless training, both of the physical and mental type, to become agents in their organisation. Riley Pheterman had been appointed as the head of the operation, and he had gladly accepted. He knew that it was important to maintain the fragile peace that had been achieved. And to do that, one had to make sure that nobody was planning any secret assaults that could potentially shatter the delicate peace they had worked so hard to attain. It was only a matter of time until someone did. 

For nearly one year, everything had gone as planned. The new training program they had begun had been a complete success. 

The new training program -- dubbed "Project Perennis", "perennis" being the Latin word for "indestructible" -- was the one of the most infaliable ones they had come up with. It took only eight months to master for those who were quick-learning. By the end of the eight months, those individuals would possess almost inhuman strength, stamina, intelligence, and agility. 

A drug nicknamed "Catalyst" had helped in that department. It was a crimson fluid, very eerie in the resemblence of blood, that each trainee would inject into their bloodstream once in the mornings. It would speed up the progress of their training program, even quicker and more efficient than Steroids without the harmful side-effects. The trainees would experience dull, constant headaches and would sometimes lapse into seizures that were almost unworthy of mentioning because of their mildness unless they were kept on the drug. 

They would also learn a variety of martial arts -- Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, boxing, Kendo, Aikido, and various other forms -- as well as target-shooting. When not building physical strength, they would be studying military procedures and protocol, as well as advanced forms of what was taught in school, and also how to become invisible -- how to disappear when it became imperative that you not be found. They were also taught to kill without remorse and mercilessly. 

Each of the nineteen people chosen had passed remarkably well -- exceeding the expectations of all who had participated in the cloak-and-dagger operation. After eight months, and an additional two months of testing, all that need be done was keep the trainees in a carefully planned out routine of exercise, both physical and mental, eating and sleeping (although they could do without both for extended periods of time, the trainers didn't want to risk anything), and missions. 

Every funder and trainer, and the Head of the operation Riley Pheterman, knew how vital it was that the trainees, the program, and the drug stay within that branch--that no outsider ever hear about it, know about it, or have it in their possession. 

So when three of the trainees on a routine check on the colony in the L2 cluster mysteriously vanished, the agency had been in a right state of mass panic. Three months passed and still, there was neither word nor sighting of any of the three whom had disappeared. The hope was that they had died--that someone hadn't kidnapped them or that they hadn't become rogue agents, so that they'd be safe from someone discovering their secret. 

Just in case, the World Unified Nation had ceased the funding of the agency and had ordered that all of its current operations be shut down -- for them to completely vanish as they had never existed at all at any cost. Three months later, the sixteen individuals who had remained were killed and cremated, their ashes hidden away so that nobody could discern what had occured, and the building was wiped clean of every fingerprint, footprint, spot of blood, sweat, or tears, every hair folcule, fingernail, and flake of skin -- so that not even the best forensic specialist could realise the identity of any person whom had stepped foot in that building. All written records were incinerated, and all computers and mainframes that held the data were torn apart. Nothing was left except for the memory of it -- which was hidden away deep inside the darkest consciences of those who had known about it. 

Not a word of it was spoken. Not a moment of it was relived. 

Until today, four months later. 

Riley sat at his desk, hands folded in front of his face as he stared intently at a desktop moniter in front of him. His brown eyes were searching the contents of the video tape for any clue as to the whereabouts of the three missing trainees they had previously named "Eagle, Shadow, and Ghost", before they had vanished without a trace. 

And here they were, on the screen. Although their identities were masked in shadow, Riley had come to know Eagle, Shadow, and Ghost's physical qualities like the proverbial back of his hand. And the three in shadow on the screen were identical to those three. There was no mistaking them. However, the current situation they seemed to be in did not wash relief over Riley's features, but instead, worry and a bit of fear. 

In a nutshell, a man had proclaimed an all-out war upon Earth and the five colonies. And he had made sure that the public knew it before the government did--he had hacked into a satellite and had made a world-wide broadcast that basically said nobody was safe any longer, at least not until he became ruler. 

And when Riley had told Lady Une about the three soldiers in the background, the World Unified Nation had goneon full alert, summoning their best soldiers and then some. Despite this however, they knew very well that perhaps not even the Gundam pilots would even be of use at this point. They had made them too fast, too strong, and too smart -- and now they had been turned. 

- 

"Unh! Unh-unh! Unh!" A young girl, approximately nineteen years old, beat the old, battered punching bag relentlessly with a series of well-placed and controlled punches and kicks. There was a firm look of determination set in her soft, Japanese features. Her dark violet fringe was plastered to her forehead by the sweat trickling underneath. The rest of her short, shoulder-length locks were tied up into a ponytail on the back of her head. Even darker violet eyes were cold and calculated, without even a hint of emotion -- except that of sheer determination. 

"Shadow." 

The girl stopped upon hearing her name and stood where she was, her chest heaving from the physical exersion. Without turning her head, she looked up at the person who had spoken. 

Although he stood in practically pitch-black shadows, she could make out his appearance quite well. Short, spiked, platinum-blond hair, firm yet kind ocean-blue eyes, and a very handsome face with strong English features. He stood at least a foot taller than her at six feet precisely. 

"Hello Eagle," she replied in perfect English. 

"I think you might be over-doing it a bit," he suggested as he grabbed the punching bag and held it as if waiting for her to strike again. 

Shadow shook her head slowly. "I'm all right." 

"How long have you been here?" he asked. 

Shadow held her wrist up and checked her watch. Eleven-thirty in the morning. "A little over five hours. But I'm fine. I've done six." 

Eagle let out a small chuckle before stepping away from the punching bag and upto her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "It's time for lunch. You've done enough for today." He held a white towel up to her. 

She grabbed it quickly and wiped the sweat off of her face with relief. The sweat was really beginning to bother her eyes and she had foolishly forgotten to bring a towel with her. "Where's Ghost?" she asked, knowing all too well where he was. 

Eagle smirked as he shut the door behind him. "The library, where else?" 

Shadow smiled and shook her head. "I don't know why that's his favourite place. It doesn't suit me. I prefer the computers...." 

Eagle shrugged. "Ghost has a thing for books. What other reason could there be?" 

- 

_Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. To die, to sleep -- no more -- and by a sleep to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to._

"Have you been up all night reading again, Ghost?" asked a woman's voice with a faint Japanese accent. 

The man on the sofa, Ghost, remained in his still sitting position, book in his hands. It was a tatty old novel, with the binding nearly gone, and the cover with only faint traces of gold where elegant lettering had been. The pages were practically yellow and the whole thing smelled highly of mildew and mould. But that did not deter Ghost, who was entrapped in the world of William Shakespeare's _Hamlet_. 

"Come on, Ghost, it's time for lunch. You can come back to reading afterwards." When Ghost still didn't move, Eagle scowled. He didn't like being ignored. "It's been around for centuries, so I'm quite positive that it'll still be here upon your return." 

This time, Ghost eyed him carefully with his incredibly piercing green stare. After a moment's silence, he shut the small novel and set it back on the coffee table in front of him. He stood up gracefully and began walking out of the library without so much as glancing back. 

Shadow sighed. "What have you done to upset him now?" 

Eagle shrugged with an expression of utmost innocence. "Nothing, I swear! I've been on my best behaviour ever since the bastard nearly blew my bloody head off." 

With raised eyebrows, she informed, "Well, you _had_ acted out a rather splendid performance of telling him his books were all burnt and unsalvagable. I'm just surprised he actually _hadn't_ killed you on the spot." 

Eagle stifled a chuckle as he cast a look at Ghost, who was about twenty feet away from them and definitely within earshot. "But it _was_ funny. Too bad I hadn't caught his expression on tape. It was _priceless_." 

Shadow shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm cursed. That's the only explanation. Why else would I be stuck with them?" she asked no-one in particular. 

Eagle laughed outright. "Oh cheer up Shadow! It's not _all_ bad. You'll always have us to lean on!" 

Shadow eyed him with perplexity. "Sometimes I think you're being deliberately obtuse." 

- 

"What exactly are you saying?" asked a rather perturbed Relena Peacecraft, whose voice seemed to rise with every question, to a calm Lady Une. "That there was an organisation underway that I did not know about? Whose existence itself was a threat to peace? That you had actually _funded_ such an organisation, without telling me about it?" 

"It wasn't any of your concern at the time," informed Noin. 

"Oh, yes," Relena snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I can see how it wouldn't be the Vice Foreign Minister's concern that there was a threat to peace under her very own nose that she didn't even know about." 

"It's all in the past, Ms. Relena," Lady Une told her firmly. "In case you've forgotten, you are still very young and quite naïve in the ways in which peace is kept. So what we choose to tell you and not to tell you is up to us." She paused and exhaled deeply. "But none of that is relevant at this point. It doesn't matter. What matters now is that you know a full-blown war is on our hands; that it's likely that not even the Gundam pilots could deliver us from a dismal fate." 

There was a hesitant pause. Relena's eyes were suddenly wide with fear. "You're...not serious?" 

"We are quite serious, Relena," Zechs replied from beside her. "I have seen with my own two eyes the capabalities of the soldiers known as Eagle, Shadow, and Ghost. They exceed those of the Gundam pilots by an unnerving amount. They are quick, efficient, and smart as hell. And even though there are only three, that's enough to bring down our entire world." 

Relena clenched and unclenched her fists, a sign of severe anxiety. "And you bloody killed the rest of them? What in God's name were you thinking? We could've used them for Christ's sake!" 

"Get yourself under control, Ms. Relena," Lady Une chided. "At the time we hadn't known that it would progress to this level. We hadn't realised the consequences of our actions. We're human, Ms. Relena, just like you. And humans are reknowned for making the worst mistakes." 

Counting to ten, Relena was able to get herself at least under a marginal amount of control. "All right. Arguing about it doesn't solve a bloody thing." She looked up at Lady Une, her violet eyes sparkling. "Who was in charge of the operation?" 

The laptop screen was turned in her direction. A file was open on a man with almond brown eyes and neatly combed red hair. "His name is Riley Pheterman. He's been with us from the beginning, and is highly experienced. He, in fact, had protested when we had decided to pull all plugs on the operation and dispose of the remaining sixteen trainees." 

"Smart man," Relena murmured. "A pity you didn't listen to him." She took a good look at him before returning her heated gaze to Lady Une. "Have my secretary set up a meeting with him tomorrow afternoon. I'd fancy a chat with Mr. Riley Pheterman. He may be in the possession of great knowledge on how to go about this whole thing." 

- 

Shadow jerked into a sitting position in her bed. She was sweating profusely once again, but this time in a cold sweat. Her hands were shaking, and she had difficulty realising which way was up. Her thoughts were jumbled and disturbing, strange images flashed briefly in her mind, though she could make no sense out of them. 

She ran a trembling hand through her sweat-soaked hair and tried to get a grip on herself. Just when she had thought she could breathe normally again, the door burst open and Eagle and Ghost stood at the doorframe, their eyes wide with worry. 

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately. 

Eagle and Ghost ran in and to her side without delay. "Are you all right?" Eagle asked. 

"Am I all right...?" Her voice was very quiet and confused. 

"We heard you screaming again. Is everything all right?" Ghost asked her, his eyes a revealing shade of concerned forest green. 

Shadow blinked when she realised that the room had begun spinning and that Eagle and Ghost had multiplied in numbers. "What?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard Ghost's question. Without waiting for an answer, she felt the pull of unconsciousness and surrendered to it. 

Eagle caught her deftly. "We've got to get her to Turner." He gathered her in his arms, her body practically lifeless. Her head lolled off to the side and she murmured something incoherent. 

But there was no time to lose. Without so much as a backward glance, they sprinted down the hallways as quickly as possible -- which was, mind you, quicker than average human speed -- to the hospital wing. 

Dr. Harold Turner was in his office, scanning through a database of records that weren't very important. He was just about to go to bed when the door was kicked in and three people stood in the doorway. "Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing that Shadow was unconscious and both Eagle and Ghost were in a massive state of panic. 

"It's Shadow...she was screaming, so we came in," Eagle replied, placing her on a hospital bed. "She was awake, but in terrible shape...she passed out soon after we came to her." 

Turner put on his glasses and took a look a her feeble form. Tremors were still trembling throughout her entire body, and she was still drenched in a cold sweat. He lifted her eyelids and took a look at her eyes. Her pupils were dilated. There was only one thing to do, only how to get rid of the witnesses? 

He looked up at Eagle and Ghost and saw the blatant distress across their now-pale features, and he began to chew thoughtfully on his lower lip. "All right. Here's what I want you to do: leave Shadow with me. Go to the Commander and tell him of the situation. Tell him everything that has happened -- how many times it's happened and what the symptoms were. Then, afterwards, I want you two to get some rest. I'll take care of her." 

Eagle and Ghost exchanged wary glances, but nodded affirmatively before exiting. 

"Now, Shadow, let's see why this is happening, shall we?" asked Turner as he cast a scrutinising glance over at the shaking girl. 

- 

Author's Note: Well, I'll end it there. You'll have to find out what happens next in the next chapter. I can honestly say that this is actually turning out to be one the fics I actually _really_ love to write, so I'm hoping you're enjoying it. Everything's up in the air right now, and nobody's quite sure what is happening, but everything will make sense eventually. I promise you that. Oh, and I hope you like Eagle and Ghost...they were fun to write as well. Not much else to say, really. Please review; even if you didn't enjoy it, I still would love your opinion!!! 

-Deirdre Blair


	2. Rara Avis

**Tears of a Dying Millennium   
by Deirdre Blair**

Disclaimer: I claim absolutely no rights to Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, or any of their respective likenesses and characters. This fanfic was written and published for entertainment purposes only, and the authoress does not intend to make money off of it. Any copyright or trademark infringement is unintended. Any similarities between any persons, dead or alive, is purely coincidental. No animals or persons were harmed during the making of this fic. (Wufei: -sneers- Stupid lying onna.... -is wheeled away in a hospital bed with bandages around his head, eye, legs, arms, and mid-section-) 

Oh! However, I do own Eagle and Ghost. So...don't take them, all right? They are characters made up by me for the purpose of this fic. That's it. Okay? And...the other characters you don't recognise...I own them too. 

Summary: It's AC 200, three years after the last light of war. Earth and the five colonies are at peace, and mobile suits have all but disappeared. However, when a power-hungry and war-loving ruler decides to end all peace and take over all five colonies and Earth, the ex-Gundam pilots are forced out of retirement and into the strangest war mankind has ever witnessed. 

Author's Note: Yay! Chapter two is here! I've looked into the future of this fic and I've seen that parts of it will seem to be drawn out very slowly while at other times, things will be happening very quickly. But don't hate me for it! I intended it to be like that. Also, I'd like to thank the following people for their wonderful reviews. 

Nyneve, Marie, Black Aura-Sama, and Nerv Death!!! 

-glomps- You guys rock!!! This is for you! (P.S. "Rara Avis," the title of this chapter, translates literally in Latin as "rare bird" but means "an uncommon or exceptional person.") 

Rating: PG-13 (**Warning, offensive language is used in this chapter.**) 

Genre: Angst/Drama 

Pairings: Hotaru/Heero   
Implied Pairings: Eagle/Ghost, Heero/Relena (one-sided) 

**Chapter Two   
Rara Avis**

_'Cause everything that   
You thought I would be   
Has fallen apart   
Right in front of you... _

-- Linkin Park "Numb" 

"It's the third time this month." 

Dr. Harold Turner and a man fairly taller than him stood on opposite sides of the hospital bed in which Shadow slept upon. A heart moniter calculated her heartbeats in slow, rhythmic beeps. 

"Do you think it's a reaction to the lack of the 'Catalyst'?" the man in shadow asked, his voice measured and cold. 

Turner turned and grabbed a clipboard and then handed it to the other man. "Her records show that it has nothing to do with the 'Catalyst.' In fact, even when she had been under Project Perennis, she had been having these symptoms, although to a milder extent. It seems the seizures get more violent with each passing day. Pretty soon, she just won't wake up. I give it...three months at most." 

There was a momentary silence as clear grey eyes glistened like diamonds. "Then she is of no use to us. You know what to do." With that, he walked out of the hospital wing. 

- 

"Mr. Pheterman, you were the head of Project Perennis, were you not?" 

Relena Peacecraft sat in her office, behind her great mahogany desk, wearing a formal but not stiff outfit. Her honey-blond hair fell upon her shoulders in long layers. Opposite her, in a cushioned chair, was Riley Pheterman, in an uncomfortably formal suit. 

"Yes, Vice Foreign Minister, I was in charge of it." 

Relena smiled, blushing somewhat. "Please, call me Relena. There is no need for such formality. I am hardly your superior." She thought for a moment, a frown replacing her sweet grin. "And had you told them, the World Unified Nation, that it was a bad idea to kill off the remaining sixteen trainees?" 

"Yes, Vice -- I mean, Relena. I feared a day like this would come, where at least one, if not sixteen, trainees were not on our side. However, they _are_ my superiors and I must follow orders -- or I face being dishonourably discharged." 

Relena nodded. "Hm, I understand completely. And I agree that they should not have been disposed of. So," she leaned forward in her chair and fixed him with a critical stare. "Do you have any ideas at all on how we should go about getting rid of this whole mess before it gets out of control?" 

Riley resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair, thus mussing it up in front of one of the most important people in the World Unified Nation. It would have been, in his opinion, a blatant sign of disrespect. Instead, he opted for sighing. "I'm afraid that it is already out of our control. At this point, I don't have any ideas at all on how to go about this. But I'm working on it -- day and night, I'm working on it. Some of my best men, those who were on Project Perennis, are working on it too. We're close, I can feel it, but we still have not grasped a plan. I hope you understand." 

Relena smiled again, her eyes very kind. "Don't worry, Mr. Pheterman. I understand very well. This is a very tricky situation we have here and it can only be handled with the best of care. But if you do ever decide on something, please call me first. I've been left out of the loop for too long." 

Riley furrowed his eyebrows. "You mean, they didn't tell you about it?" 

Relena shook her head. "In their eyes, I am quite naïve in the ways of the world -- even though I've been through this for nearly five years. They believe I'm still a child, even though I turned twenty four months ago." She rubbed her temples. "It's frustrating, trying to get them to trust me with the cold, hard facts." 

Riley indulged himself in a kind, gentle smile before replying, "I believe you've grown up considerably since that last incident -- your kidnapping." 

Relena blushed and tried not to remember it. The whole thing was a rather painful experience for personal reasons. It had been the day after when she had confessed to Heero her love for him -- and when he had replied that he could not love her even if he wanted to. He hadn't been "programmed" to love; he hardly understood what it meant. 

Noticing her unease, Riley quickly changed the subject. "Do the Gundam pilots know what happened? Were they let in on the little secret?" 

"No, they still have no idea," she answered solemnly. "Part of me hopes that we can win this fight without involving them. They've already done so much for peace, fought in so many wars, given up so many things. It wouldn't seem fair, somehow, to involve them." She paused. "However, the other part of me knows that without them, we would certainly fail. That they are vital allies -- without them, we'll surely perish. So, you can see that I'm torn in my decision." 

"Don't worry, Relena, you'll make the right decision," he encouraged. 

- 

"What do you fucking mean 'she's dead'?" snapped Eagle, who was sitting next to Ghost in a long, leather sofa. They had been called to the Commander's office the very day after they had found Shadow screaming in her room. 

The Commander sat in his tall leather chair. Due to the extreme sunlight behind him, they could only discern clear-grey eyes. Everywhere else was drenched in pitch black shadow. "She died last night, due to a severe seizure. She stopped, and then went cold. There was nothing we could do for her." 

"Bollocks!!! She's not dead!" Eagle cried, lunging at the Commander. His bodyguards grabbed their guns while Ghost grabbed Eagle. "She's not dead," he continued to scream. "You're fucking lying!!!" 

"I'm afraid, Eagle, that I am not lying," informed the Commander, his voice rising higher to be heard over Eagle's insistant screaming. "You can check with Dr. Turner if you'd like." 

"Yes, sir, we will. Thank you," thanked Ghost hurriedly, as he ushered the hysterical Eagle out of the room. He shut the door behind him and shoved Eagle up against the wall. "What are you doing?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" 

Eagle looked up at him, his eyes brimming over with tears. His lower lip was quivering. "She's not dead, Ghost. She can't be... She's not!" 

Sympathy replaced anger completely in Ghost's eyes as he released his hold on Eagle, who fell into him. One arm remained at his side, his other hand on Ghost's chest, next to his bowed head. Ghost hesitantly placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He could feel rather than hear Eagle's sobs. 

"How can she be dead, Ghost? How? Just yesterday she was laughing and smiling -- a bright-eyed angel, full of life!" Eagle clenched his fist, taking some of Ghost's shirt in his clenched fingers. "It doesn't make sense." 

Ghost shook his head solemnly. "No, it doesn't. It doesn't at all." He felt an unfamiliar tightness in his chest, and he fought the strange lump in his throat, and the tears that threatened to reach the surface. He had to be strong, for Eagle. If he fell apart, then neither of them would stand a chance. 

Eagle let out a strangled sob, and grabbed Ghost with such force, it knocked him back a few steps. He buried his head in Ghost's shoulder and held onto him for dear life. Ghost didn't know what to do; so he stood there awkwardly, looking around to make sure nobody was nearing them. 

Then tentatively, he linked his own arms around Eagle's shoulders and held him reassuringly. 

"She's dead, Ghost," Eagle finally mumbled defeatedly. "She's gone." 

Ghost said nothing. To speak would've been too hard at the moment, and the hitch in his own voice would've caused Eagle to burst into hysterics again. 

- 

It was midnight when Relena finally came "home" that night. She had been with Riley Pheterman and his assistants trying to see what they had come up with so far, to see if she could help with any of it. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to think of anything that they already hadn't. 

Relena looked around, her violet eyes weary with everything that had been going on as of late. It had only been two days, but to her, it felt like two months. Somehow it all seemed quite surreal at the moment. She had only just begun to grasp the seriousness of the situation. And now that she was, her days as an innocent, carefree girl were sorely missed. 

A maid by the name of Debbie hurriedly walked over to Relena. "You look very worn, miss. Would you like me to fix you some tea?" 

Relena gave a thankful smile. "Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you." She looked around at the empty foyer. "Where are the boys?" she asked, referring to the five ex-pilots whom she had been sharing the mansion with for over two years. It was so close to Preventers head-quarters, that it only seemed natural that she stay with them. And, she _had_ received an invitation from the owner of the estate, Quatre Raberba Winner. 

"Oh, Mr. Winner is in his study, Mr. Barton is in the library, Mr. Maxwell is sleeping, Mr. Chang has just gone to bed, and Mr. Yuy is...." She gave a confused look. "Well, actually, I'm not sure where Mr. Yuy is. I haven't seen him since dinner." 

"Thank you again, Debbie. I have a feeling I know where it is. I'll take my tea in my room." With that, she walked away from the maid and to the ballroom balcony, the largest balcony in the entire mansion. Heero was always there, it seemed, staring into space as if it held the infinite knowledge of the universe. 

It was there she found him, standing guardedly, his eyes emotionless as always; although this time, they held great distance as well. She walked over to him and stood beside him. She tried to see what he saw, but all she could see in her naïve, superficial mind were a bunch of lights trapped in a black velvet blanket. "Staring into space again, Heero?" 

He didn't jump, and she knew he wouldn't. He always knew when she walked into a room, when anyone walked into a room. His guards were constantly up. Doing that all of the time must be exhausting to a person after a while, she had always thought. But then again, Heero wasn't an ordinary person. He did, however, have the grace to acknowledge her presence with a simple nod. 

"You miss it, don't you? The fighting, the excitement of war, and being able to see what the moon sees when it looks upon us from the heavens...," she asked with slight hesitation. She honestly did not know how he would react to her mentioning war again. 

"That wouldn't be logical," he replied monotonously. His eyes betrayed nothing. 

Relena placed her elbows on the balcony ledge and settled her chin in the palms of her hands. "_You're_ not logical, Heero Yuy," she informed with a teasing voice. "You're the only person I know who can hold up his guards for eternity without breaking a sweat, who seems to have much more to him than meets the eye -- much more than anyone else and that's saying something -- and who stays up all night just to look at the stars." 

"Looking at stars isn't abnormal," came his even retort. 

Relena indulged in a lazy smile. "True, people often look up at the stars. But with you, it's different. The others, when they look at the stars, they have either a look of relief, or a fondness of memories. But you, when you look up at them, you have this intense longing in your eyes -- a yearning of almost unsuppressable desire." She paused to look at him, her tone a little more serious than before. His demeanour still had not changed. "You'll never be happy until you're fighting again, will you? Until you can fight in space." 

He looked at her and said nothing; his eyebrows knitted together was the only sign of inner emotion. 

Relena sighed. "You belong in space. That's where your heart is. You know love, Heero Yuy." She tenderly placed a hand on his cheek. "I know you know love because every time I look at you, I see it. And do you know what you love?" There was a pause; he said nothing and she just looked into his eyes. Slowly, with pain glistening in her amethyst stare, she turned his head towards the heavens. "You love space. It is the only thing that will ever make you happy." She let go of his face and began to walk away. 

"Relena...," he started to say. 

She stopped, tears brimming the surface of her eyes. She turned halfway and looked at him with reluctance. 

"You know nothing has changed. I still can't love you like you want me to." 

She nodded, closing her eyes. "Yes, Heero. I hadn't a doubt in my mind." 

"But...." He paused as if trying to think of what words to use to express the thoughts flowing through his mind. "You are important to me. Like Duo, Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa, you are my comrade. That's all I can give you." 

She smiled genuinely, her eyes glistening. "And that's more than I could ever want. Good night, Heero." With that, she walked away without waiting for a response for she knew one would never come. Heero never said good-bye, good night, good morning, or any greetings that would pass so easily between friends. 

But that's what she and Heero were; they were friends. She knew this without him telling her, but him actually stating it made a part of her heart very warm and she felt as if perhaps her own longing could be beared. 

- 

Darkness surrounded her in an engulfing shadow. She could see nothing, hear everything, and couldn't move a single muscle, and that scared her. Perhaps she had been blinded and paralysed? Biting back a sob of panic, she took a couple of calming breaths before realising something. 

She hadn't opened her eyes yet. 

Slowly, eyelids fluttered open. Everything was still dark, but she could make out indistinct figures -- one being Dr. Harold Turner. He was grinning at her in a frightening sort of way. She attempted to back away when it suddenly dawned on her that the reason she couldn't move was because she had been bound tightly in ropes. She tried to shake her light-headedness away, but it only resulted in a sickening wave of vertigo. She closed her eyes and reopened them. 

"What...what's going on?" she asked weakly, talking taking more effort than usual. 

"Don't worry, Shadow, it'll all be over in a moment. In fact, we're here already." 

She didn't like his tone. It foretold something sinister in his intentions. But before she could ask again, she was hoisted violently out of the van she hadn't even known she'd been in. Judging by the highness of the moon, it was near midnight. Just what was happening? 

It was then she saw, or rather heard, her whereabouts. She was at a harbour that would more than likely lead into the Mediterranean Sea. Her eyes widened in shock as she began to struggle and scream. The man clapsed a hand firmly over her mouth. He quickened his pace and practically threw her into the harbour. 

She felt the current pull her under and away as she tried to break free from her bondages and gasp for air. The third time she bobbed up, she had inhaled a mouthful of water. She began to choke and cough, but it was difficult for she was underwater. She felt as if her lungs were about to explode. The final current pulled her under so deep, that she quickly became disoriented and forgot which way was up. 

It was then she felt ready to pass out from lack of oxygen. She could hold her breath for up to three minutes when not in a state of panic, but since she had already wasted so much energy in losing control of herself, she knew that her survival time had drastically decreased. 

And then, starting from the corners of her vision, she felt and saw a blackness, a darkness creeping in. She let out a final breath as she lost all consciousness; cloudy blue water faded into desolate black abyss. 

- 

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Ms. Relena, you have a phone call," informed Debbie. 

Relena opened her eyes a bit before becoming aware of being conscious. "Um, I'm sorry, what did you say?" 

"The phone, Ms. Relena, it's for you." 

Relena looked about her room, her mind slowly realising coherent thought. "Oh, of course. I'll take it in here, thank you." 

Debbie nodded and stepped out while Relena wiped the sleep from her eyes and picked up the receiver. It was an ordinary phone, as Relena didn't like people looking in on her room. "Hello?" she greeted unsurely. 

"Relena, it's Riley Pheterman," said the voice on the other line. "Did I wake you?" 

"Oh, no, I was already up," she lied brightly. "Is something the matter?" 

"Remember how you asked me to tell you first if something came up?" 

Relena nodded, and then gave herself a silent reprimand on momentary stupidity. "Yes, yes, of course I remember." 

"Well..." 

"Should I come down?" 

"Yes, that would be good," he replied with relief. 

"All right, I'll be there within the hour." She hung up the phone and sped away to get dressed and cleaned. 

- 

"What's going on?" Relena asked as Riley escorted her into the laboratory, where the whole place was in an uproar. 

Riley said nothing, but led her over to a small hospital-like bed. She blinked and gazed upon the girl on top of it. She was barely breathing, her skin as pale and sickly as a vampire's, and her heart rate abnormally slow. "Who is this?" she asked with curiosity. 

"Well," Riley explained, "This morning, two shipman found this girl tied and bound tightly, lying on the beach. They were worried and called the ambulance. At the hospital, they ran a search on her but found absolutely no information on her identity. So, they called us for they were suspicious of her. We brought her in about two hours ago and realised something." 

Relena tore her gaze away from the girl and looked up at Riley. "What?" 

"Do you remember those photographs I showed you the other day? In my office?" 

Relena nodded. 

"Does she look familiar to you?" 

Relena looked back down at the girl and studied her looks. Short, about five feet total, a small frame, ghostly pale skin, Japanese origin, dark violet hair.... Her eyes widened. "You mean...this is _her_? _She_ is Shadow?" 

Riley nodded. "They are one in the same. I ran her fingerprints and DNA through the system, and they came back as a one-hundred percent match." 

"And she just showed up out of the blue a couple of days after the war-threat?" she asked, highly suspicious. 

"Yes, and that's not the only strange part. We believe someone tried to kill her. It's obvious from our tests that she's still been kept healthy and has been on the 'Catalyst' substitute for as many days as she's been missing. However, it seems they've decided to...dispose of her. It's probably that man's fault -- the one who made the threat," he informed. 

"But why would he do that?" 

Riley shrugged. "We don't know. Back when she was with us, she was every bit as capable as the others -- in fact, she was one of the best along with Eagle, Ghost, and another one named Ocean. However, she had a few problems. Though they were extremely mild, she did suffer from seizures. They were few and far in between, and would only last half of a minute -- and you could hardly tell she was having them. I can only assume that...," he paused. 

"Go on," Relena encouraged. 

He sighed. "I can only assume that they've been getting worse, especially since she's been off 'Catalyst' for so long. We're still running tests, but it's pretty safe to predict that she has gone beyond the stage of treatment." 

Relena narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?" 

"She only has a few months left to live." 

"Have you tried giving her the blasted drug? Maybe that would-" 

"It'd do nothing. She was having them even when on the drug. We could try, but the results will be minimal -- if there even will be a result." 

Relena clenched her fists, but the rest of her remained calm. "This is just great," she commented sarcastically. "We _actually_ find one of them, and she's dying." 

"Perhaps this would be a good time to let the ex-pilots in?" 

Relena sighed. "Looks like we'll have to." 

- 

When Relena told them, she was a bit stunned to find out none of them were surprised in the least. Heero still stood, leaning against the wall, unmoved. Duo and Quatre still sat casually in their chairs. They were all the epitome of calm. And she was about to scream at them for it, even though she was secretly grateful. 

"And any suggestions, _any_, please speak up because we're all at a loss on what to do," she finished. 

Still, they said nothing. Finally, Duo seemed to come back from distant thought. "Is there anything more? Something you aren't telling us?" 

Relena had left out the bit where they had found Shadow lying unconscious in the sea, and that she had a limited time to live, but that was about it. She wasn't too sure if she should tell them. She did, however, tell them of the other two, Eagle and Ghost, and how they were currently a formidable threat. As far as they were concerned, Shadow did not exist. "No, nothing," she lied easily. It wasn't important that they know anyhow. She would be detained upon re-awakening and she'd be kept absolutely secret. They didn't need to know about her. 

"Do you have any suggestions?" she asked, prompting them for any input whatsoever. They were, after all, more trained in war than she could ever hope to be. 

"How wonderful," Duo sighed as he wiped his face out of tiredness. "We've destroyed our obliterated them, and now they'll come in handy more than ever. Fate is so cruel!" 

Relena shook her head gravely. "And I shouldn't be telling you this now, but we've been rebuilding your Gundams ever since this operation had taken effect. We figured, why not have back-up defences? They'll be finished within the week, with some upgrades as well." 

They all stared at her in disbelief. "You've known about this for over a year and you haven't told us?" Wufei asked skeptically. 

She nodded. "Yes...well, actually, I've only known about it for a couple of days. Lady Une, Noin, and Milliardo all knew for over a year. But we can't dwell on that right now." 

"Do you know where this 'army' is at the moment?" Heero asked her. 

"Due to recent...events, we believe they're located here on Earth. Somewhere on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea." 

Trowa quirked an eyebrow. "That's oddly specific for only knowing about this threat for a few days." 

Relena silently reprimanded herself for the second time that day on her sheer stupidity. That was completely foolish of her to let that slip. She was on the point of hitting her forehead with an open fist muttering, "Stupid, stupid, stupid," when Heero spoke up. 

"There's something you're not telling us." 

"It's not important," she replied with as much nonchalance as she could muster. 

"Like Hell it's not important!" Duo cried. 

Relena looked away, staring intensely at her phone -- as if she were trying to make it ring by just looking at it. Finally, she gave a sigh of defeat. "All right. There were actually three of the trainees, not two. Her name is Shadow." She then began telling them about how they had found her tied and bound, and how it was likely she wouldn't last the year. 

Everyone was silent for a moment. 

"Well, I didn't think it was important because she's really of no use to us. She's practically comatose as we speak," Relena defended nervously. 

"We should go see her," Quatre suggested immediately, as if he hadn't heard what Relena just said. 

Relena, weary of keeping secrets and having secrets kept from her, didn't feel she had the resolve to argue. 

- 

"This is Shadow?" Duo asked, a bit unbelieving. 

They all stood around her. She looked a little better than this morning, Relena reflected, but not by much. "Well, I did say she was a girl..." 

Duo shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Sally could probably kick my ass, and she's a girl too. What I mean is, she doesn't _look_ like a soldier -- she's so frail, so fragile." 

"She's quite strong, I assure you Mr. Maxwell," Riley spoke up. "In fact, she was one of our best. But we found her nearly drowned, and she has been suffering from seizures for a while now." 

"Seizures? Drowned? What?" Quatre asked, worried. He didn't know her, but that didn't sound like a good fate. 

"Didn't Relena tell you?" Riley asked. But he didn't wait for an answer. "When we found her, we figured the people she's working for tried to kill her -- and as for the seizures, they were controlled with Catalyst, but since she's only been on the mediocre substitute for nearly a year, they've progressed past the stage of recooperation. We suspect she only has a few months left to live, they've gotten so bad. We also suspect that the seizures are the reason they attempted to kill her in the first place." 

"So you've tried putting her back on it, then?" Relena asked, recalling their previous conversation. 

Riley nodded gravely. "Yes, but we've only seen slight results. Her heartbeat is now regulated and some of her colour's returned. She hasn't woken up yet though." 

- 

Eagle sat, miserable, in the library with Ghost. His comrade was reading again, as if nothing had happened in the first place. He, however, was moping. What was worse, he was restless because the information Turner had given him had been so vague. 

"How can you be so bloody calm?" Eagle shot at him. 

Ghost turned the page. "Because fretting about it solves nothing," he replied smoothly. 

"She was our _friend_, Ghost! Practically our sister, and you're going to let them get away with it?" he snapped, nonplussed. 

Ghost glanced up at him. "Do you really think they had some part in her death?" 

Eagle stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think, Ghost. I _know_ they did it. I could see it in Turner's eyes -- he had that frightening frenzied, anxious look he gets when he's done something deplorable. And you heard Turner, she's been having these seizures more often. Maybe they, you know, _offed_ her because she was getting weaker." 

Ghost set his book down and quirked an eyebrow. "You're terribly suspicious, do you know that? A complete paranoid moron. You can't go around making accusations based on some look the doctor had." 

"So you don't believe me then?" he asked, defeated. 

Ghost shook his head and some of his dark brown locks fell into his face. He deftly pushed them away. "I didn't say that. It doesn't make sense, it's completely illogical, but at the same time, I have the feeling that there's something ominous about this whole thing." 

"So what are we going to do?" asked Eagle, his voice lowering somewhat. 

"Nothing," he replied calmly. 

Eagle's jaw dropped. "N-nothing?!" he cried, his voice cracking somewhat. "They kill our sister and you've decided to do _nothing_?!" 

"She wasn't our sister." 

"She was the closest damn thing I had to a sister, so don't you dare say that, you insufferable prick!" he spat. "How can you do nothing?" 

Ghost glared scornfully at his comrade. His mouth was a thin, tight line, and his knuckles were white as he clenched his fists. "If we do anything right now, it'd be foolish because we don't have a plan," he hissed. He usually didn't loose his temper; in fact, he was usually the epitome of calm. But he had never taken lightly to insults -- especially being called an "insufferable prick" by the metaphorical black pot. "So all we can do is sit, wait, and think. The worst plans are made when blinded by rage, you know this well." 

Eagle looked away, gritted his teeth, and stormed out of the room. He knew Ghost was right, and that was what pissed him off so much. Being as fiercely independent as he was, he didn't like it when he had to admit to himself that without the level-headed Ghost, he'd voluntarily walk out into a mine-field just because the enemy had made an off-handed, albeit disparaging, comment about his mother. 

_Loathsome idiot..._ And for a moment, Eagle wondered whether he was talking about Ghost, or himself. 

- 

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Shadow's closed eyes clenched. 

_Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep._

Her breathing became irregular and her eyes flew open. She tried to move, but found that her wrists were bound. She let out weak cries as she struggled to break free. 

_Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep..._

The doctors sprinted over to her and removed the mask. As soon as it was free from her face, Shadow let out a blood-curdling scream that seemed to last ages. 

- 

Author's Note: Oh, another cliffhanger. How do you like it so far? Are the characters pretty IC? Is my Relena believable? I hope I didn't make her too grown up...she's not a very grown up person. And I hope I made my Ghost believable too, because I hadn't a chance to in the last chapter. A relatively calm guy, but when deeply disturbed, he does display emotions. It's normal. Hey, I didn't want to make them all completely stoic -- that's Heero's job. It'd get a feeling of being over-done if I made Ghost like the Perfect Soldier. 

-sigh- Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it thus far. This chapter is definitely longer -- practically ten pages compared to chapter one's seven pages. Shadow didn't have a huge part in this chapter, but the next one is going to be all about her basically. 

Well, please review! I look forward to it even if it's derogatory. Although, that'd probably upset me. Oh well! 

-Deirdre Blair


End file.
